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City man gets 12-year term for rape attempt

A Decatur man who pleaded guilty last week to the attempted rape of a mentally handicapped teen earlier this year was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday by Adams Circuit Court Judge Frederick A. Schurger.
According to Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Harvey, Matthew C. Bodle, 30, who had previous convictions of theft and failure to appear, among others, had requested the judge sentence him to six years in prison followed by four years probation.
Harvey stated in a press release that in Indiana, a person who intentionally engages in intercourse with a member of the opposite sex whose mental disability prevents the victim from being able to consent to intercourse commits rape.
Due to the victim's limited capacity, it was unclear if Bodle completed the sexual assault, according to the release.
Judge Schurger agreed with Harvey that Bodle's criminal record, coupled with the fact that he violated probation in an unrelated case in 2011, justified an aggravated sentence.
Harvey stated in the release Bodle also attempted to claim the victim had somehow induced or facilitated the offense, which was rejected by the judge.
Bodle has been in the Adams County jail since his arrest last summer and will be transferred to the Indiana Department of Corrections within the next few weeks. Under Indiana guidelines, Bodle will be released from prison in approximately 4.5 years if he causes no trouble while in prison. He will then be placed on lifetime parole and be required to register as a sex offender.